Compensating device of rudder and elevator controls of airplanes



Jan. 26, 1932.

COIPBNSATING DEVICE OF RUDDER AND ELEVATOR CONTROLS OF AIR PLANES Filedsept. 15,1930

R. A. A. COUzINET 1,842,859

Patented Jan. 26, 1932- UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE RENE ALEXANDREARTHUR COUZINET, OF LEVAILOIS-PE'RQEL FRANCE GOMIPENSATING DEVICE OFRUDDER AND ELEVATOR CONTROLS OF Original application filed February 20,1928, Serial No. 254,558. Divided and. this application filed September15,1930. SerialiNo. 482,067, and in France February 26, 1927.

The present invention relates to improvements in the compensatingdevices of rudder and elevator controls of airplanes and is a divisionof my prior application No. 254,558,

I filed February 20, 1928.

These improvements which are more particularly utilisable on airplanescarrying heavy loads, are mainly characterised by the following pointsapplied separately or in combination:

a. The compensation of the stoppage of a side engine is ensured by asecondary rudder, pivoted at the free end of the main rudder; thissecondary rudder can be controlled, in-

dependently of the main rudder, by any suitable means, but automaticallymoves in reverse direction to the main rudder when the latter is actedupon.

I). The elevator is provided, at its free ends, with at least oneshutter actuated independently of the elevator by any suitable means,but moving automaticallyand in reverse direction to the elevator whenthe latter is acted upon; this shutter allows to compensate, duringflight, a defective position of the fixed plane.

The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of example only, adiagrammatic form j of construction of a compensating device inaccordance with the invention.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are diagrammatic plan views of a compensating device.

Figure 4 is an elevation of an airplane.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 diagrammatically illustrate a device for compensatingthe rudder and balancingthe airplane in case of stoppage of a sideengine. The rudder 113 is pivoted about an axis 114. The member 115diagrammatically illustrates the fixed part of 0 the airplane on whichis pivoted at 116 a rudder bar 117 actuated by the pilot. second rudder118 of reduced surface is pivoted at 119 on the free end of the rudder113.

Both axes 114 and 119 are preferably paral lel. The second rudder 118can be actuated, independently of the first one by a control wheel 120actuated by the pilot. An interm diate rudder bar 121 is inter osedbetween the control wheel 120 and the ing-posts 122 of rudder 1 18. Thisdevice operates in the following manner:

When it is desired to compensate the stoppage "of one of the sideengines without acting on the rudder bar 117, the control wheel 120 ismoved so as to bring the rudder 118 in a suitable position laterallybalancing the airplane. Such a position is more particularly shown inFig. 2. When th e pilot acts on the'rudder bar 117, the main rudder 113angularly moves about the axis 114 and the secondary rudder 118, owingto its connection. with the rudder bar 121 angularly moves about theaxis 119, but in reverse direction to the first one, thus'ensuring theautomatic compensation of'the rudder. Such a position is moreparticularly shown in Fig. 3. The connections between the various rudderbars and king-posts are constituted either by double cables, or bytension and compression tubes.

The elevator 180 (Fig. 4) is provided with a flap 181 which avoids thead ustment during the flight, of the fixed plane 182. This device issimilar to that reviously described for the rudder, and the ap 181 canbe actuated in an identical manner with that described for the flap 118.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a steering device for airplanes, a main movable steering plane andmeans for directly displacing the said main plane, an auxiliary planepivoted on the said main plane, connections of the parallel motion typefor eflecting the automatic displacement of the the displacement of themain plane, and means arranged immediately adjacent the displacing meansfor the steering plane for regulating the position of the parallelmotion type connections for permitting an independent regulation of thesaid auxiliary plane without preventing the compensation usuallyeffected by this auxiliary plane which auxiliary plane in anopposite'direction to is always in an opposite direction to the mainplane.

2. In a steering device for airplanes, a mainmovable steering plane, andmeans for directly displacing said plane, an auxiliary plane on the mainplane, connections of the parallel motion type for effecting automaticdisplacement of the auxiliary displacement of the auxiliary plane in anopposite direction 5 to the displacement of the main plane, saidparallel motion connections including an independent auXiliary rudderbar journalled at the axis of the steering plane, king-posts carried bythe auxiliary plane, connections between the king-posts and theauxiliary rudder bar. a braked drum under the control of the airplanepilot, and a cable Wound on said drum and terminally attached to theauxiliary rudder bar for permitting the independent regulation of saidauxiliary plane without preventing the usual compensation effected bythis auxiliary plane which is always displaced automatically in anopposite direction to the main plane. In testimony whereof I have signedthis specification.

ALEXANDRE ARTHUR COUZINET.

